Barely Breathing
by ReaderMarz
Summary: AU. A student and a river guide cross paths in a coffee shop. Is it destiny, or just mutual attraction? Shoujo-ai.
1. Part One

Disclaimer: Ami and Makoto are not mine, as much as I may wish they could be.

AN - If you don't like yuri, or the suggestion of shoujo-ai, then this story is not for you. Please keep moseying along. This is an AU setting, though I tried to keep Ami and Mako believable.

Because the content didn't quite make it to a true M, I have lowered the rating to a T. BUT be warned, the third part gets a little heavy and should be for mature T readers only.

Thanks to my great friend Museless Fool for giving me the inspiration to try my hand at fanfiction.

* * *

><p>Ami could barely breathe. That girl was just too ... Wow. She was glad she had grabbed a corner chair with a good view of the entire coffee shop, instead of her usual cushy seat front and center. If she hadn't, she'd have missed seeing the most enticing woman she had ever laid eyes upon enter through the side door and sashay to the counter. Her dark brown hair, tied up in a high pony tail bobbed with every step she took. Her tanned skin betrayed a love of sun, and contrasted with the starched-white tank top over baggy jean shorts. Her strong calves tapered to slender ankles to tanned feet, tucked into a well-worn pair of Chaco's. She bet those feet, if stripped of their protection, would bear the criss-cross tan of a true Chaco wearer. And her muscles ... thick shoulders led to developed arms and forearms that indicated a hard grip to break, and that tank-top wrapped an obviously well-toned set of abs under a pair of nice C's bound behind a blue sports bra. Mmmm she could just imagine what those baggy shorts were covering, boyshorts over hard glutes and quads and hams that would complete the overall picture of Boi. God she just loved a girl with muscles. And a tall girl, at that. She had to be at least 5'10", compared to Ami's own 5'3".<p>

As the sounds of the busy coffee shop once again reached her ears, Ami realized just how deeply she had been staring at the girl before her. Jeez, she wouldn't have been surprised if there was a puddle of drool in her lap. She cracked a self-deprecating grin and shook her head, firmly planting herself back in the real world. Goddesses like that weren't interested in scrawny little brainiacs, even if they did order the same drink, she couldn't help but notice. She quirked another small grin as she watched the barista make an iced chai with soy milk, the exact duplicate of the drink nearly forgotten in her own small hands. She continued to etch the girl's image into her mind as she watched her collect her drink, and with a sparkling smile and a wave of one hand move to exit through the same door she entered. Ami heaved one last wistful sigh, and tipped her chai in lusty salute to the vision sauntering out of the coffee shop and out of her life.

Only she didn't leave. The girl stopped, one hand on the push door, the other hand holding her drink to her luscious lips. She turned, oh-so-slightly, and made eye contact with her. Ami felt a blush immediately stain her pale cheeks as she attempted to shrink behind her still-raised plastic glass. She was caught. She didn't know how, but somehow that girl had figured out she had been staring. Oh, hell, how embarrassing! But wait, the girl wasn't doing anything but looking at her, with almost a question in her eyes. It was as if she was waiting for something.

But what? Ami offered a small sheepish grin, and slightly shrugged her shoulders, trying to convey to the girl that she was only appreciating what she had seen. The girl started, slightly, as if she was expecting a different reaction, and she looked at Ami piercingly, as though trying to penetrate her soul. Ami, though confused at this turn of events and in spite of her ever-reddening cheeks, calmly met the girl's gaze and offered a clear view of her emotions, her drives. Honesty, determination, and yes, attraction, she put it all in her eyes and threw it at the gorgeous girl standing before the door. This might be her only chance, so why not?

The girl drank deeply from Ami's gaze, for one, two, three seconds before her own eyes widened and she dropped her hand from the door and strode over to Ami's chair.

"Hi." She thrust her hand out, her non-drink-holding hand warm and calloused. "My name's Makoto. Want to go for a walk?"

Ami blinked at the hand before her, processing the words she couldn't quite believe she had heard, before letting a slow smile shine from her face. "Sure. My name is Ami. Let's go." Taking the hand before her, she let herself be helped up from her chair, and she followed the tall girl outside into the late afternoon sun. Squinting at the sudden brightness, she dropped her gaze to her flip-flops and suddenly remembered she was shy. She didn't do these things. She didn't get caught staring, she didn't accept offers to go for walks, and she definitely didn't follow girls around like a love-struck idiot. Wait, love-struck? No. Maybe lust-struck. Yeah, that was it. The girl—Makoto—was hot, and Ami's dormant passion felt like it just drank a double shot. She just wanted to spend some more time in Makoto's company. It had been too long since she felt real attraction to, well, anyone. Her entire mental debate took less time than the span of a confidence-building deep breath. She squared her shoulders, dredging inner resolve from somewhere, and cast a sideways glance at her tall companion who was currently regarding her with an expression of amused curiosity. Ami would regain control of this situation, of herself, but first she had to ask, "Um, so, where do you want to go?"

"I thought maybe the Arboretum?" Makoto offered. "Since it's such a nice afternoon, after all. The trees, the flowers, they should be in bloom now. Since the cold weather really cleared up a few weeks ago I'm not the only one appreciating the sunshine. And that walk is always nicer with company. Unless you don't want to go ..."

"No!" Ami hurriedly said. "I mean, yes, I want to go, and the Arboretum sounds lovely." She smiled shyly at Makoto, who had also smiled more broadly at Ami's response.

"Well then, my lady, let us be off." Makoto facetiously joked, and with a half bow, she gestured to their left at a long blue vehicle parked along the curb. "My trusty steed."

"A station wagon?" Ami raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I don't have a car at all, but still ... for some reason I can't picture you driving a station wagon."

"Hey! Don't knock her. She gets good gas mileage AND I can haul all my drunk-ass friends home when they call me at three in the morning." Makoto said this so seriously Ami just had to laugh, and Makoto was quick to share the chuckle. They reached the wagon, and Makoto reached through the half-opened window to unlock the passenger door for Ami. "No really, I love this car. It's big enough I can even camp out in her when the weather turns bad, and I never lack space to stash anything I need. We've been through a lot together." A hint of sadness flickered across Makoto's face so quickly Ami wasn't sure she had even seen it. What about that previous statement made Makoto sad? Ami decided to ignore the mystery, at least for the moment. After all, she didn't know the girl; it wasn't her right to pry. Which reminded her, was it really a good idea to get into this car, with this stranger?

"So, Makoto-"

"Call me Mako." Makoto leaned over the door she swung open for Ami, one arm lazily draped across the top. She was still inches above Ami's height, but leaning in like that, into her bubble, made Ami's pulse jump.

"Ok, Mako." She offered a shaky smile. "I have a question – I just met you and you want me to get into your car. I mean, you're not offering candy but..." As Ami said the word candy the naughty little demon that was her subconscious sent the thought _but you wish she was offering you some of her candy_ flitting through her mind and the blush jumped back to full force across her face. Ami did a quick little inhale, almost a gasp, and snapped her mouth shut, her ability to formulate sentences momentarily lost.

Mako saw the blush race across Ami's cheeks and was momentarily startled. _What just happened? I definitely didn't offer candy, but Oh Wait. I wonder if she's thinking what I'm thinking she's thinking... _As the blush refused to leave the adorable cheeks of the shorter girl standing before her, Mako just knew her hunch was right. _Who'd have guessed such an innocent face hid such a dirty mind? _She smiled. This girl—Ami—was proving to be quite intriguing.

Back in the coffee shop she had felt the weight of an intense stare the moment she stepped foot through the door. With the way Mako dressed, she expected and received a certain amount of gazes and glares, and she was used to always being looked at, but the eyes behind that feeling just seemed ... different. While she was waiting for her chai, she had surreptitiously cased the joint, seeking her unknown watcher. She hadn't seen anyone looking her way, or even anybody who looked like they could have been the person staring at her, but since that feeling hadn't dissipated she knew the eyes had to belong to somebody in the corner behind her. So as she grabbed her coffee and moved to the door, she paused and glanced to her right and there were the eyes: brilliant piercing cobalt, slightly hidden behind shaggy blue bangs. The rest of the striking bob-cut blue hair was attached to a slight-framed girl holding up what appeared to be an iced drink of some kind. When Mako met her eyes, she saw a blush spread across those pale cheeks as the eyes widened and the girl seemed to try and hide behind her upraised cup.

Mako didn't let her off the hook, though. She kept her eyes trained on the cobalt-blues as her peripherals caught the hemp flip-flops, the tie-dyed gypsy skirt, and the white button-up short sleeve silk shirt that completed the ensemble and gave the girl an aura of prim seriousness, in spite of the blue hair. A few seconds in to this impromptu read, the girl surprised Mako. She gave a quirky little half smile, and shrugged her shoulders, as if to say what the hell, and then the girl looked at her. Really looked at her. Like, she poured her soul into her eyes and offered it on a platter to Mako. It took her a few seconds to realize what she was seeing, but Mako's own eyes widened at the promise of pure honesty and passion and desire inherent in those blue depths. Before she even knew what she was doing, she was across the coffee shop with her hand extended. "Hi. My name's Makoto. Want to go for a walk?"

What was she thinking? And then the girl surprised her again with an absolutely captivating smile that transformed the blue-haired student sitting in front of her into an angel. And the angel said sure, and she said her name was Ami. The next thing Mako knew, she was standing on the sidewalk babbling like an idiot about the Arboretum. But Ami said yes, and Mako felt her heart lighten. Now she was leaning on her passenger door, staring at a blushing Ami, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Ami just might really be into her, even if she wasn't willing to admit it yet.

"You know ..." Mako rasped out, her eyes brightening in response to the flush forming on her own cheeks, "you didn't really ask me a question. I understand what you mean, though, but I think ... Um, no, I want you to know ..." Mako dared to reach her hand out and lightly rest her fingers on Ami's shoulder. She could swear she felt a jolt of electricity pass through the fabric at her gentle touch, and Ami jerked her eyes from the shoes to meet Mako's green gaze. "I just want to go for a walk, look at some blossoms, and talk to you. I'll be the perfect gentleman, I promise."

At the gentleman comment Ami smiled. "Well. All right then." Her shoulder was burning hot under the light touch of Mako's fingers, and she couldn't tear herself away from the touch. They stood there for what felt like a lifetime, each breath each girl took not offering enough oxygen, words not needed as cobalt communed with green, Mako's hand a still caress on Ami's angular shoulder. A long boarder zoomed past on the sidewalk, almost crashing into Ami, and only Mako tightening her grip on Ami's shoulder and pulling her forward saved her from a painful collision; and they still didn't break eye contact. Mako smiled even wider, and Ami's angelic smile shone forth once again, with laughter. "Ok, really, let's go." She ducked her head and climbed into Mako's car, settling into the faded blue-upholstered bench seat and buckling her seat belt as Mako shut the door and crossed to the driver's side. She reached through the half-open window, again unlocking the door from the inside, before letting herself in and starting the car.

She cast a happy sideways glance at her blue-haired companion. "Ready?"

"Ready."

Idiotic smiles adorned both girls' faces as Mako checked her mirrors, and pulled into traffic. "And off we go."


	2. Part Two

Disclaimer: Still not mine. Neither is Cobra Starship, nor the UI Arboretum. I did have a car just like this one, though.

I have decided this will be a three-shot.

* * *

><p>The five minute ride across town and up the hill to the Arboretum was spent in silence, as the two girls listened to the quietly playing Cobra Starship CD Mako had mixed and tried to get up the gumption to start an actual conversation. Since the ride was so short, neither succeeded and before they really knew it—Mako was surprised she hadn't gotten pulled over, she was definitely not paying attention to her driving—they were parked under an overhanging old oak tree, staring at the path that wound through the manicured lawn in front of the car.<p>

Mako turned off the engine, purposely leaving the windows half open once again, and she and Ami left their neglected chai's sitting in the cup holders as they climbed out of the car. Ami glanced at Mako quizzically.

"Why do you leave the windows open like that?"

"Because I trust this town, and I hate the idea that I might key my own car accidentally if I'm ever in a hurry and need to unlock my door," was Mako's odd answer. She stretched her long arms above and behind her head, and cast an appraising look at Ami as they began to meander toward the path. "Why do you ask?"

Ami couldn't help but notice this position showcased the sweeping lines of definition from Mako's arms to her trapped breasts to her slender stomach, and she gave up on not looking like she wasn't looking. Mako was gorgeous, and she had to know the effect she had on girls like Ami. She just had to. "I-," she squeaked. Ami cleared her throat and tried again, much to Mako's amusement. "I guess I just don't trust as easily as you do. I've only been here, in this town, at this college, for two semesters. My mom always told me never to leave things out, that prevention is the best medicine." At her own words she smiled, clearly feeling a tender affection for the recalled memory and her mother.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't trust easily at all," Mako rebutted. "People always surprise me, usually the wrong way, but this town is the kind of place where sneaky people acting funny get noticed. In a way, the whole small-town mentality watches my car for me, so that's why I say I trust the town. I don't trust people, individually, at all."

Ami took a chance. "And yet you're here with me. Right now."

"Yes. I'm here with you, right now." Mako dropped her arms, letting her right hand barely brush against Ami's bare arm before quickly putting her hands in her pocket. She just couldn't help herself from wanting to touch this slight girl walking beside her.

Ami gasped at the light contact. Again, her skin where Mako touched her felt as if it was on fire. What was with her reactions to this tall girl? She hadn't felt this physically attuned to anybody, ever, not even the girl she loved for five years. Well, thought she loved before said girl wanted some space and Ami found her in somebody else's space. That had happened her senior year of high school, and Ami hadn't been able to even look at anybody since, let alone desire them. Trying to escape her memories, she had chosen this small college in the middle of nowhere to pursue her pre-med degree, without friends, without distractions. But now this Amazonian beauty had walked into her life and woken pieces of Ami she had nearly forgot existed. There was just something about Makoto that spoke to her heart, and managed to speak to her libido at the same time, and she had no idea what it was. _Well, then, I'll just have to find out._

Mako heard the slight gasp, and a small twinge of satisfaction wound its way through her body. That gasp, coupled with the full-fledged ogle Ami had given her when she stretched, only confirmed her gleeful suspicions. _She does like me. Wow. I haven't wanted anybody to like me, really like me, since my parents died. _Mako, once the talkative loving daughter of two naturalists, now wore the persona of an aloof loner. It's better to be alone from the beginning than be left, she decided, and she threw herself into the outdoors, earning her river guide certificate and First-Responder status the moment she turned 18. Sure her jobs always revolved around people, but she never had to form bonds deeper than that of guide to client. Even her teammates weren't allowed into her confidence, and finally, two seasons into rescue work and this second season of guiding, they stopped trying to convince Mako to loosen up and join them in revelry. They knew they could count on her to always have their backs, but as for opening up and moving from acquaintance to real friend, it didn't happen. Mako always held herself at arm's length, with everyone. _So why do I want Ami to like me so badly?_

Mako and Ami, both lost in convoluted thoughts, quietly wound their way through the blooming representative trees and flowers from Europe, but as they entered the Asian section with the pale pink cherry blossoms Ami, with a fierce glint in her eyes, abruptly stopped moving and firmly said, "Mako."

Mako halted, a few feet in front of the blue-haired girl. She turned around to face Ami. "What?"

Ami took a deep breath. Why couldn't she seem to get enough oxygen? "I have a question."  
>"Like the last non-question?" Mako teasingly cut in.<p>

Ami quirked a half-smile. "Well, sort of. I want to know, why, um, that is ... awww heck."

Mako waited patiently for Ami to sort out her thoughts and put them into a real sentence. The girl was obviously trying very hard, and Mako found it adorable. She wondered at the lack of eloquence—Ami didn't strike her as someone who typically couldn't form sentences—and not incorrectly attributed Ami's tongue-tiedness to her own presence. "Hey," she softly interrupted the girls hemming and hawing. "Let's go sit on that bench," indicating a carved granite block under the nearest swaying tree.

Ami was grateful for the distraction. Why couldn't she just speak? She didn't get nervous like this! She was always the first one to volunteer for group management positions, she spoke well in public, why couldn't she just tell the tall girl what was on her mind! She followed Mako to the nearly square seat, and as they sat down, Ami found herself focusing on her sandals, yet again. If she could just avoid getting lost in those green eyes maybe she could actually string more than two words into an intelligible sentence.

"Hey, I always wanted to try something. Help me out?" Mako broke in. Ami nodded, curious. "Stay there. I'm going to sit on the other side, and lean back into you, and you lean into me. We'll be each other's back rests!" Ami laughed at Mako's exuberance. Mako was clearly trying to make Ami feel more at ease, and the tiny tugs she felt on her heart got a little stronger. Mako moved to the other side of the bench, and sitting upright, scooched until her back nearly touched Ami's. "Now, lean back." Ami complied. "Awesome," sighed Mako, as they both adjusted into the comfort of the other's back.

This was heaven, Ami decided. She had never sat like this before, never felt the warmth of another person's back against her own. Best of all, she didn't have to worry about getting lost in Mako's green eyes. She closed her own eyes, feeling the setting sunlight splash through the blossomed branches and dapple across her body, listening to the slow breathing of the girl at her back, and she regained her missing equilibrium. "Mako ... my question is this: why does this feel so good, so natural, with you? I don't know anything about you; you don't know anything about me. So why?"

"Does it matter?" Mako countered, her husky voice carrying to Ami's ears on the slight breeze dancing with the blossoms above their heads. "I don't have an answer to that question, anyway," she continued. "I just know I could feel your eyes on me in the coffee shop, and when I finally met your gaze I never wanted to look away again. I'm not...an easy person to talk to, and I never approach anyone else; I've never wanted to approach anyone else, I live my life for me. What do you want to know? My parents died when I was twelve. I worked my way through high school, I never went to college, and I work as a river guide and a wilderness rescue person. I am currently twenty, I am a black-belt in Karate, I have a secret passion for cooking, and I love long walks on the beach." Ami, who had remained silent as she soaked in Mako's words, thrilled at the tall girl's throaty chuckle. "Ok, not really, I just felt that would be a better line than 'I'm an alcoholic,' which was the other thing that just sprang to mind. I have a quirky sense of humor. I'm not really an alcoholic, I don't drink at all, actually, because of how my parents died, uh, that's why I always offer my services as DD to my teammates, the only friends I really kind of have, even though I don't let them close to me at all..." Mako's voice trailed off. She was babbling again. She had just bared her soul, at least more than she ever had before, and she didn't even know Ami's last name. Speaking of last names, "And my full name is Makoto Kino."

Ami let the silence grow until it became apparent Mako wasn't going to say anything else until Ami responded. "Mizuno. My full name is Ami Mizuno." She had felt the tension gripping Mako's back, and didn't quite know what to say in response to Mako's revelations. Ami wanted to reassure the surprisingly fragile girl; she got the feeling Mako was expecting her to run away. Ami reached her right hand up and behind her to rest on Mako's shoulder. Mako flinched at the sudden touch, arching her back against Ami's even harder, and then seemed to make up her mind about something. She relaxed back into Ami and reached her left hand up and oh-so-lightly caressed the top of Ami's hand. Ami smiled, and turned her hand palm-up to play her fingers against Mako's stroking touch. They sat in silence, both girls smiling as their fingers danced and their hearts raced under the sun moving further toward the horizon.

"I'm eighteen." Ami's breathy voice split the quietude. "This is my first year studying pre-med, and if I wasn't two weeks ahead in my reading as I always am I'd be worrying about my classes tomorrow instead of worrying about never seeing you again." Mako felt her heart swell at the confession, and her stilled fingers resumed stroking the digits splayed against her palm. "I lived with my mother until I left for college, and I don't know what I would do without her presence in my life. My dad left us when I was little, but I honestly don't miss him. If he didn't want to be around, then I don't want him in my life. I have always been the brainy girl, and people always shied away from me because they thought I would lord my smarts over them. I didn't mind, though, after I met and fell in love with a girl when I was in middle school, and we were inseparable until she broke my heart during senior year. Ever since her I have perfected my untouchable image. Here, I am known as the brilliant girl who is pleasant and will answer class questions, but I have no friends. And until I saw you in the coffee shop that was fine by me. But now, Mako, I care. In the two hours since I saw you, I have felt more real emotion than I think I ever have previously. There is just something about you, and I don't know what it is, but I want to find out. And I want to take all the time in the world to do so."

Ami couldn't believe she had just said all that. She just confessed to her dream girl. Who did that, outside of movies and manga? She couldn't catch her breath, all the oxygen in the air had better places to be than in Ami's lungs. When was Mako going to say something? When?

Unbeknownst to Ami, during her words a slow grin started forming across Mako's face, from the corners of her full lips to the crinkled corners of her sun kissed eyes.

"Ami."

"Ye-es?" Ami squeaked out.

"Sit up. I'm going to move."

Ami flew forward, pulling her hand free and clasping both hands together in her lap, her gaze once again firmly embedded on her sandals. Mako languidly curled forward and walked around the bench to crouch in front of Ami's hunched figure. Her smile never faltered as she reached and took both of Ami's hands in her left, while gently cupping the tilted chin in the palm of her right hand. Mako's thumb caressed Ami's delicate cheek, and Ami jerked her head up only to drown her bright cobalt eyes in the depths of Mako's smoky greens.

"Mako..." Ami started, but Mako move her caress to include the corner of Ami's mouth and Ami stilled, the words trapped behind tingling lips.

"I agree with you, Ami, that we are on the brink of something special, something neither of us were looking for or expecting. I also agree we need to give this...us...a chance." Mako took a deep breath. "Would you like to come over to my house for dinner? Tonight?"

At Mako's invitation all cognizant thought left Ami's usually overzealous mind. Dinner. As in, a date. With Mako. Tonight. Screw homework. "Yes." Ami breathed her agreement out, her hot breath dancing over Mako's thumb, making Mako's smoky greens spark even darker and Ami's eyes darken in response, the flush of passion unexpected on both parts.

_Oh, gods,_ they both thought. _Tonight is going to be...interesting..._


	3. Part Three

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong to Naoko Takeuchi. The lyrics belong to Ingrid Michaelson. Yes, this is still shoujo-ai. You have been warned!

* * *

><p><em>What to cook, what to wear, I think the house is clean, gods I need to calm down.<em> After their comfortably intimate moment, Mako pulled Ami up and kept Ami's left hand in her right as she led the way back to her wagon. Her warm calloused palm held the slender future doctor's hand gently, giving Ami enough pressure to know that Mako didn't want to let go but not enough pressure to stop Ami from pulling away if she wanted. But Ami didn't want to, and both enjoyed the feeling of another's hand in their own.

The day had nearly turned to dusk, and they agreed Ami would walk over to Mako's surprisingly close house at seven so Mako could focus on cooking. Mako dropped Ami off at a strangely familiar on-campus community housing building with directions to Mako's nearby house, and immediately felt her insecurities taking over her normally rational mind as she drove home. Where was her calm, cool, collected self when Mako needed her?

She parked her car in the driveway then raced inside, giving the modest two-story home a thorough once-over to assure that neither she nor Setsuna had left anything out of place, not that Sets would be the kind of woman to do that, but Mako wasn't giving anybody the benefit of the doubt. Her luck, today would be the day Sets finally twigged and carried through on one of her running threats to decorate the living room with her favorite erotic paintings or something. Nope, the living room looked the same as it did this morning. Where was Setsuna, anyway? She rarely went out on Sundays. Mako stopped her pell-mell dash in front of the notepad on the fridge, where, sure enough, was a note from the missing woman.

Mako, A dear old friend is in town and we went out for the evening. I won't be home until tomorrow, 9am. You enjoy your night, too! Love, Sets

_What the hell? Sets had a...date? She was going to be gone all night? And what did she mean, enjoy my night? Even though Sets is scary-good at knowing when things were happening in my life, there is no way she could know about Ami._ Mako checked the kitchen clock: 5:51. _I haven't even known about Ami for three hours yet!_ _Seriously, Mako, get a hold of yourself. You have other things to worry about. The house is fine. And holy crap it's almost six!_

With that thought, Mako snapped back to reality and the rather pressing situation of what to make for dinner. Diving from cupboard to fridge to pantry, the evening's menu solidified in her mind. She took a deep breath and found the calm that had evaded her previously. The kitchen was her domain: cooking had always been something she enjoyed, a skill she enjoyed perfecting. She grabbed her apron and set to work.

* * *

><p>Ami, meanwhile, had sprinted for her third-floor suite as soon as Mako's car had disappeared around the corner. To arrive at Mako's by seven meant she had less than an hour to get ready! Taking the stairs two at a time, she mentally rifled through her wardrobe. Jeans? Another skirt? She had a plethora of dress shirts and skirts as they comprised the majority of her typical apparel, but she wanted to look special; she wanted to show Mako she really cared. She reached the door and let herself in to the suite she shared with Michiru, a senior double majoring in art and music. Ami asked Michiru, when she first found out she was assigned to live with a senior, why Michiru still lived on campus, and Michiru just gave her a smile and said she liked being near the University's pool. As the year progressed they discovered they had quite a bit in common, and Michiru became someone Ami turned to when she needed advice. Michiru, for her part, felt somewhat protective of Ami and enjoyed playing the part of an older sister.<p>

"Michiru! Are you home?" Ami called. Hearing no answer, Ami took Michiru's silence to mean the senior was not behind her closed bedroom door. Ami shrugged as she continued down the hall to her own room. _Oh well, I guess I won't ask her opinion of what I should wear. I just need to calm down, then I'll be fine. And I know how to do that. _

The first thing Ami did when she entered her tidy room was waken her sleeping laptop and click on her music files. Favorites, playlists, there: Keep Breathing. The first quiet guitar strings, the piano harmony, joined by the evocative voice of Ingrid Michaelson. Ami stepped back from her computer, closed her eyes and gave herself over to the peaceful music emanating from her speakers. The lyrics draped around her like a warm comforter and her quiet voice gained strength with the chorus, to crescendo in unison with the music. "All that I know is I'm breathing, All I can do is keep breathing, All we can do is keep breathing, Now all we can do is keep breathing..." Ami, her calm restored once again, headed for her shower, still humming the final chords as her computer dutifully switched to Yo-yo ma's cello suites.

Ten minutes later a freshly-showered naked Ami stood in front of her dresser, facing a dilemma she hadn't considered until this very second of need. What kind of undergarments should she wear? _I want her to think I'm sexy. But I don't want her to think I'm a slut. Gah! This is the first date! Why am I even concerned with underwear?_ And the devil on her shoulder piped up with a very convincing argument: _because it's been so long, she makes you wet, and you don't really want to be the prim one tonight._ A decidedly devious glint sparked in Ami's eyes at the sight of the matching bra and panties shoved in the far corner of her drawer. _Perfect. Now for the rest of the clothes._

After spending twenty minutes emptying her closet and trying outfit after outfit, Ami stood in front of her mirror, appraising her decided outfit. Knee-high black leather boots; favorite patchwork short denim skirt; black and silver twisted belt; white short-sleeve blouse, unbuttoned to show just a hint of the swell of her breasts; black and silver choker; and to complete the outfit, a black and silver rose clip artfully holding her sweeping bangs out of her face. Ami felt her face warm as she surveyed the girl in the mirror. _I actually look...hot. Gods I hope Mako thinks so, too._

"Well aren't you all dressed up?" Michiru's teasing voice broke Ami's concentration and she looked up to see her suitemate leaning against the open door of her bedroom.

"Michiru! When did you get home?" Ami's mind raced as she wondered how much of her naked antics her roommate had seen.

"Just a few minutes ago. You must have been too absorbed to hear me announce my arrival," Michiru explained, gesturing at the clothes strewn about the usually meticulous room. "If I didn't know any better I'd say my little Ami has a date tonight."

"Ah ...Yes, I actually do." Ami met Michiru's surprised eyes, and answered the question she saw in the raised eyebrows. "And you didn't know I liked anybody...because I didn't know it myself, until about 3:30 today."

If Ami had said she was quitting school to join the circus Michiru wouldn't have been more surprised. Ami was serious, scholastic, but not spontaneous, and she certainly didn't accept blind dates. The girl Michiru had been living with had never shown interest in anyone the entire year and Michiru knew Ami had been approached several times by hopeful people of both genders. Ami politely declined each time, and seemed oblivious her distant nature coupled with her brilliant marks only served to increase her notoriety. Michiru, popular in her own circles, respected Ami's privacy and never fueled nor mentioned the growing buzz about Ami to her withdrawn suitemate. But, Michiru was curious: who was this mystery person who finally caught the attention of the up-and-coming Ami Mizuno?

"Well I wouldn't be a good suitemate if I didn't pepper you with questions and try to ascertain this person's true intentions, but it seems we both are under something of a time crunch," Michiru stated with a gentle smile. "So I will restrain myself to three nosy questions." She winked at Ami, who laughed. "How did you meet this person?"

"I met Makoto in the coffee shop downtown, actually she caught me staring at her and then she asked if I wanted to go for a walk, and we did, and then she invited me over for dinner."

Michiru's eyes softened slightly. It was a girl. Ha, she had been correct in her feelings about Ami. And as for Makoto...why did that name seem familiar? "Do you feel safe with her?"

Ami blushed. "Yes, I do."

"What does she do?"

"She's a river guide during the summer and works as a rescue person during the off-season."

Michiru felt her world shift, slightly. That's why the name was familiar! "She's a river guide? Is her last name Kino?"

Ami started. "How did you know that?"

"You know my girlfriend Haruka, right?" Michiru asked. Ami nodded. She had seen Haruka and Michiru together several times, but never had a chance to talk to the tall blonde. "She also guides, and she works with a girl by that name. The Makoto Haruka works with is polite, strong, courageous, but strictly a loner. I actually met her for the first time last month. Haruka and I were out with some other couples and we lost track of time; before we knew it the bar was closed, we were standing on the sidewalk in the rain, and we all were way too tipsy to find our cars, let alone drive. 'Ruka pulled out her cell phone and announced she was going to call a ride for all of us, and not five minutes later this grumpy girl in a giant station wagon pulled up to the curb and took all of us to our homes. That was how I met Makoto Kino."

Ami had sat down on her bed to listen to Michiru's story. "Mako told me about that! Or at least, she told me she does that for her friends."

"She's got a heart of gold, Ami. 'Ruka's been trying for over a year now to get Mako to loosen up, but maybe Mako just needed to meet the right person. "

Ami blushed. "We'll see. She's cooking for me. I mean, she invited me over for dinner at seven." Ami looked up at her beautiful older suitemate. "I haven't wanted to go on a date in a really long time, Michiru. And it's not even that it's a date, it's that it's a date with Mako. There's just something about her that makes me feel...whole again."

Michiru could feel her eyes moisten at Ami's heartbreakingly honest words. She walked over and sat down beside Ami and pulled her into a tight hug. "When I first saw Haruka I loved her the moment our eyes met. Sometimes it's rocky, but it's worth it." Michiru broke the hug with one last squeeze and held Ami at arm's length, peering into her bright eyes. "If you ever need anything, Ami, call me. I'll be there for you. Until then, get your butt moving! It's almost 6:30, and I have my own date to prepare for tonight."

"Ok, Mom." Ami stuck her tongue out at Michiru, both of them laughing as they stood up, hugging once again. Michiru headed to her room to shower and change, and Ami went to put on some makeup feeling happier, more at peace. She hadn't realized Michiru cared for her so much. _It almost feels as if a layer of ice had encircled my heart, and now, because of Mako, it's melting, one drip at a time.  
><em>

* * *

><p>One block down, four blocks over, two blocks down, and Ami found herself standing in front of a cozy-looking two story home, Mako's blue beast parked in the driveway. She checked her slender silver watch: 6:57. Figuring she'd look less the fool showing up a few minutes early than loitering on the front lawn, Ami walked to the front door and rang the bell. She could hear the chime echoing inside the house, as well as what sounded like someone crashing down a staircase. Ami hid a small smile behind her hand. <em>I guess that's the proverbial herd of elephants. <em>Suddenly the door flung open and a breathless Mako gasped, "Ami! You made it!"

"Mako..." Ami felt her greeting wither on her lips as she gazed at the vision standing in the open door. Mako's pony-tailed damp hair betrayed a very recent shower, and her dark purple dress shirt with the long sleeves rolled up above her elbows rested unbuttoned over what Ami suspected was Mako's trademark tank top. But the clincher was the luscious pair of form-fitting torn jeans. Definitely not baggy shorts, these jeans grabbed where Ami wanted to. Ami actually had to bite her tongue to stop herself from asking Mako to turn around.

Mako, for her part, looked as if she was doing her best impression of the Cheshire Cat. Her cheeks hurt, she was grinning so widely, because Ami looked so. Damn. Good. The boots, the denim, the hint of cleavage—the faint buzz of an expired timer brought her back to reality, and her eyes grew huge. "Shit! The edamame!" She turned and darted down the hallway, calling over her shoulder, "Please come in, Ami! You look great!"

Ami couldn't tear her eyes away from the retreating backside; Mako was out of sight before Ami gingerly stepped across the threshold and shut the front door. She leaned back against the dark oak door, catching her breath and trying to slow her rushing blood before sedately following the path Mako took down the hallway. Sounds of grumbling and the clinking of pans on a stovetop indicated to Ami she had reached her destination. The sight of Mako bent over the stove made the efforts to cool her boiling blood in vain; Ami wanted nothing more than to jump the gorgeous woman in front of her. Frantically casting her gaze about for something, anything to distract her, she saw a pair of stools facing each other across a breakfast bar set for two. She gracefully perched on the far stool; safely barricaded behind the counter she let herself appreciate the view. She had been totally right. Mako had one fine ass. "You look great, too, Mako."

"Especially with the chef's accessory: my trusty apron." Sure enough, Mako had thrown on a worn apron before she had returned to her cooking duties, Ami saw. Mako darted a dazzling smile at Ami, glad the heat from the stove gave a plausible reason for the blush on her cheeks. "Sorry it's so hot in here, I didn't get a window cracked in time." From the looks of the blush on Ami's cheeks, Ami appreciated the excuse, too. At ease in her domain, Mako felt up to light conversation. "Dinner is almost ready; we're just really waiting on the rice. Here's an edamame appetizer—it's a Japanese theme tonight. Sorry I don't have anything besides water to drink, though."

Ami smiled at the eager chef and accepted the dish. Mako really was considerate. Michiru's words popped back into Ami's mind. _Heart of gold...Loved her the moment our eyes met..._Was this love? Or just a mutual simmering attraction? "I like Japanese. I don't like Sake, so I'm ok with just water. I must warn you, though, I am lethal with chopsticks."

Mako laughed. "My housemate-landlady-mother-substitute Setsuna loves Japanese as well—which is why I had all this stuff on hand—but she has issues with chopsticks. She has to focus so much attention on every bite, I always threaten to finish the dishes before she finishes three bites. Of course, she says she does it on purpose as an effective diet plan, but that's crap and we both know it. Now it's just a running joke."

"Setsuna Meioh?" Ami's interest was peaked. "The professor?"

"Yep, that's Sets. I knew her from before my parents died. She was always there for me, but I hated being dependent on anybody. I still do. A few years back she finally convinced me to live with her here when I'm not on the river or in the field, and since I could pay rent at that point, I accepted. She's the only person I've trusted, since before. I'd do anything for her." Mako's passion was evident in her voice, as was her love and respect for the young professor.

"I know Setsuna; I took an elective fashion design course from her my first semester. I figured being a doctor and all, learning how to sew a straight line might come in handy. I actually designed and made this skirt in her class."

"I like your skirt." Mako coughed, slightly. "I like how you look in that skirt." Mako met Ami's gaze and the unspoken _I'd also like you out of that skirt_ hung in the air, fueling the tension building in their eyes. "She made this apron for me!" Mako blurted. "See?" Mako moved closer to Ami, and sure enough, over her left breast was a beautifully embroidered rose, with the words "Makoto Kino, Queen of the Kitchen" embroidered in cursive script beside it.

"Queen of the Kitchen?" Ami, feeling a boldness she didn't know she possessed, held her right hand out and traced the words and the flower, her touch barely grazing the breasts behind the light fabric of the apron.

Mako had to stifle a moan when Ami reached out to touch her. Frozen in place, she couldn't do anything but accept the gentle caress and attempt to force her voice to work. "A-an-other running joke, when I am here I am in charge of cooking, it's just safer that way for all concerned." The strident beep of the rice cooker broke the frozen tableau, and with a whirl Mako resumed her position of chef.

Before Ami knew what was happening, Mako placed two cups of miso soup, two plates of salad, a plate of cold soba noodles, a large bowl of steamed rice, a plate of tempura shrimp and vegetables, and two sides of dipping soya sauce between the two place settings. She whipped off her apron and hung it behind the pantry door before moving once again beside the breakfast bar. Mako bowed. "Dinner is served."

Ami laughed at Mako's antics, and Mako quirked a grin as she slid onto the stool across from Ami. "It feels good to sit down! Ok, so, anything on the table you need explained?"

"No," Ami replied. "I've even had the soba noodles before."

"I knew I should have gone all-out!" Mako exclaimed in mock sadness.

"Mako, this IS all-out. Thank you very much." Ami held up her water glass. "To my Mako, the best chef around." She felt her ears burning at the slip of her tongue, but she didn't correct herself or let her glass waver.

Mako couldn't quite believe her ears as she clinked her water glass against Ami's upraised glass, but she went with it. Keeping her own glass raised, she looked the blushing girl in the eye and made her own toast, "To today, the day you entered my life."They held their glasses together for an extra moment, then sipped and began their feast.

After she tried everything on the table and offered effusive praise—Mako really was an amazing chef—Ami started in with gusto. Mako, too, was pretty hungry at this point. Conversation lagged during the initial inhale, but soon the pace was a little more sedate and words could fit between bites.

"So where is Setsuna this evening?" Ami wondered out loud.

"She actually has a date tonight, I think. She's meeting with an old friend, but won't be home until tomorrow."

"So the house is ours tonight?" Ami raised an eyebrow at the suddenly red Mako.

"Yeah, the house is all ours. Whatever you decide you want to do. I have a lot of movies, or music, or we could do something else, we don't have to stay-"

Ami took pity on the babbling girl and cut in: "It seems like a good night for a date. My suitemate has one, too. Oh! I wanted to tell you, she is dating one of your fellow guides, Haruka."

"You live with Michiru?" Mako asked, surprised. "That would explain why your building was familiar! I dropped those two off sometime last month. It was late, I wasn't really paying attention, that's why I couldn't really remember."

"Actually, if the tale Michiru told was true, it was early, not late." Ami laughed. "You made quite the impression on her, might I add."

"Eehh," Mako shrugged her shoulders. "What can I say? I promised to pick them up, but I never promised to look or act the best. I guess so much for a good first impression!"

Ami softened her chuckle. Poor Mako looked so chagrinned, picturing her two a.m. appearance. Ami imagined the sleepy Mako: bed head hair tied in a messy ponytail, rumpled tank top rubbing against bare nipples, low cut boxers under soft pajama pants. Thoughts of Mako in her underwear led to thoughts of Mako's bedroom and desire surged through Ami's mind, tightening her abdomen as she looked at the purple-clad chef with a different kind of hunger. _Tonight, with you, I want to give in to my darker side._ Impulsively Ami picked up a piece of shrimp tempura with her chopsticks, and dipping it in her soya sauce, she waited until she had Mako's attention before she deliberately licked one end and nibbled off half the piece before stretching her arm out and offering the rest to Mako.

Mako felt electricity immediately shoot from her heart to her center at Ami's bold challenge, all thoughts focused on the temptress sitting across the table. She looked at the shrimp then looked at Ami's lidded gaze before she quirked her mouth. Two could play this game. She leaned forward to emphasize her considerable breasts, and lowered her voice to a throaty flirt: "You know this is an indirect kiss in Japan."

"I know," Ami practically purred.

_Oh gods_. Mako held Ami's eyes as she slowly maneuvered to close her teeth around the offered bite. The pulsing in Mako's center matched each thrust of her jaw as she chewed the half shrimp, and Ami watched the lines of Mako's throat flex as she swallowed. "That," Mako practically growled as she slid sideways off her stool to stand beside the bar, "was delicious. But I think," and she stalked in two steps to Ami's side of the bar. "I want something more." Mako moved until she was behind Ami, placing her hands on the counter barring Ami within her embrace. "More..." Mako leaned in and twisted her head forward to splay her ponytail over Ami's trembling décolletage as she lowered her mouth to the waiting right ear. "Direct."

Mako's hovering mouth struck lightening through Ami's quivering body. Ami felt that bolt break into thousands of zaps of electricity and bounce back and forth between Mako's encircling arms and draped pony tail, sliding over and through Ami's bare skin to her core. The only thought behind her desire-drunk eyes was that Mako, when she wanted something, was a force to be reckoned with. And Ami had the distinct feeling she was something—somebody—Mako wanted. She had never felt this aroused, had never wanted someone to take her so badly. Mako was power, strength, and Ami needed her. Her damp panties were definitely now soaked.

"What—what happened to the gentleman?" Ami managed to croak, leaning back into Mako's braced form, tilting her head to meet Mako's eyes.

"I left him in the Arboretum." A glint of hesitation appeared in Mako's green depths. "I could probably find him again if you'd like..."

"No," Ami emphatically protested. "No. I want this, with you. Tonight." Some last vestiges of the prim girl she usually was forced her to drop her head and pull away slightly from Mako's body. "I'm not really this kind of girl. I don't want you to think I do this. I've never done this before."

"...This?" Mako softly questioned.

"Gone this fast. But it has been awhile. I haven't...been with anyone since my high school girlfriend." Ami scooched her entire body around on the stool to face Mako. "Technically, I'm still a virgin. But I trust you. I feel as if I have been waiting for you." Ami ran both her hands up Mako's braced arms. "For who you are out here." As her hands came to rest over Mako's heart: "And in here."

Mako regarded the pure eyes of the slight woman captured in her embrace. She could feel the powerful surging of Ami's honesty as well as Ami's desire, and they both called to something sleeping in Mako, something that had been sleeping for far too long. Her inner battle was over before she even realized it began. Mako gave in. Ami was a kitten and a tiger and Mako wanted both of them. She spoke so softly it was almost a whisper. "I have never been with anyone I've loved. I...had some rough times, in the beginning, and I did some things I regret, but I was lucky and now it's been years since I've even wanted to be with anyone. But you, Ami, I don't just want, I feel as if I need you. As if you are my other half. I want to feel your heart beat, learn your soul, taste your body. I think we're meant to be together, and if it hadn't happened today, it was just a matter of time."

"Mako!" Ami flung her arms around Mako's neck and pulled the surprised brunette into a lip-crushing passionate kiss, her tongue easily defeating Mako's lowered defenses to take full command of her mouth. It was heaven, it was lightening and ice, and Ami broke it off, just as suddenly as she had initiated it. Both women were struggling to find air and both their eyes were clouded with renewed passion strengthen by the idea of love. Holding Mako's forehead to her own, Ami rasped, "I...want to...see your bedroom. Now."

_And that would be the tiger._ Mako smiled to herself as she took Ami's hand and led her up the stairs, the remains of dinner long forgotten.

* * *

><p>AN- And this is all I can bring myself to write today. I don't think this story ever did truly become M, and for those who are disappointed by that, I apologize. Suffice to say I cannot write what I do not feel, and I refuse to shortchange either Ami and Mako or you, my dear readers. (Assuming there are some still out there.) This story about their fall together is complete; hopefully someday when I am in a more passionate mood I will write the consummation. When I do, I will add it as a separate one-shot. Thank you for reading, and may your ink never run dry.<p> 


End file.
